First of all, stopping sinning can be a challenge for thousands of people around the world. Over time, it is possible to see that people really want to abandon their sinful life, however, few manage to do so. In today’s article, we will take a basic approach to sin in the Old Testament and what the consequences were for people who sinned.
What is sin?
To begin with, sin is everything that diverts man from God’s purpose. Sin is any thought, word or action that goes against divine laws. The Bible describes the sin of transgression of the law (1 John 3:4), the sin of iniquity and common sin, which is missing the mark (original sin). Transgression is going against God’s law, knowing it is wrong and doing it anyway. Iniquity is doing something without God and without God’s consent, establishing one’s own will seeking to please God without God having asked (Martha, Lazarus’s sister, thought that serving was more important than listening to Jesus, this is a type of sin of iniquity). Lastly, the common sin of missing the mark is based on acting according to instinct without knowing what is right and wrong.
Classification of sin in the Old Testament
- Meaning of sin in Hebrew: The word is “chata” which in its root meaning is (to miss the mark or fail). This word describes an action of missing the mark or simply making a mistake.
- Transgression in Hebrew: The word is “pesha” describes a person who goes beyond God’s law, that is, it is someone who commits an act of conscious rebellion.
- Finally, the meaning of iniquity: This sin is the most serious of all. The Hebrew word for iniquity is “avon.” It describes someone who distorts divine law and lives in wickedness, and has this as a continuous practice in life. It also describes someone who seeks to do his own will without giving effect to God’s commandments (a sin that the devil committed in an attempt to become superior or equal to God).
National and personal sin
The truth is that when we are thinking about something, it is likely that we are already committing some kind of sin. The Bible describes that nowadays, it is not necessary to consummate the act – just thinking about it is enough and we will be committing a sin. Sin is something strong, it is something that takes us like a roller coaster to a fall – it happens so quickly that it makes those days of intense fasting disappear like dust. In the Old Testament, sin was different. It was necessary to commit the act in order to commit a sin – this according to Jewish law.
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According to the Old Testament, sin was punished with death and even some type of illness. For example, Miriam, Moses’ sister, became ill after committing a sin against Moses. Elisha’s disciple caught Naaman’s leprosy. A study found that the word “sin” is found about 600 times in the Old Testament. If you combine the Old and New Testaments, the Bible mentions the word sin more than 1,000 times.
After all, sin was classified as personal and national sins, in which the entire nation was in sin and, in order to be forgiven, an animal had to be sacrificed for forgiveness. This ritual was constant and very common at the time. In other words, there was a specific day for the priest to enter the temple to offer sacrifice for the entire nation of Israel. This day was known as the “Day of Atonement” or “Yom Kippur.” This type of rite was performed only once a year and was carried out only by the high priest, where he offered a sacrifice for the forgiveness of the entire nation.
He did not offer the sacrifice in any way…
The priest went through a personal purification rite (high priest), he bathed and even wore another type of clothing that was made of very fine linen and had to be white. In other words, it was a very different type of clothing from the other days of the week. Furthermore, he had to offer a sacrifice of a young lamb to purify his sins and those of his entire household.
The people had benefits when they stopped committing sin
Benefits of stopping sinning
In addition, stopping sinning can lead any individual to both spiritual and physical success. This is because everything that is invisible becomes visible, everything is based on each person’s mind – hardly any Jew is provided with wisdom and money. If you notice, you will understand right away that the practice of sin leads to ruin quickly. For this reason, in the past, sin was treated with great rigor and even led to death.
The act of sin was so severe that God sent other nations to fight against His own people.
Method to stop committing sin
First, establish a life of prayer and reading the Bible. Then, look for Bible teaching courses or even read a lot of books for personal growth. Finally, consider that the more you know about God, the more you become like Him – that is, you will be able to stop sinning naturally.
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Conclusion
In conclusion, sin in the Old Testament was very severe and led a person to death. It was not about God being evil, but being just and applying the law that He Himself established. If you open the Bible, you will see words like “the wages of sin is death”, “distinction between more serious and less serious sin”. After all, the fact that punishment for sin is not about God being bad, but about the actions of people who practice evil. A life of sin is the absence of Justice, a life without God.
Therefore, to describe sin only superficially is a vague and meaningless understanding. The level of sin is scaled, and there are sins unto death and sins unto non-death (1 John 5:16). The sin of transgression is one (1 John 3:4), the sin of iniquity is another (Isaiah 59:2), and the common sin is simply missing the mark. All are sins, but they differ according to the spiritual level of each individual.
Questions
What is the first mention of sin in the Old Testament?
In my opinion, the first mention of sin in the Bible is seen in God’s speech to Adam. God tells Adam not to “eat from the middle of the tree in the garden.” This is a mention of something not to do, encouraging man to look more closely at the tree in the middle of the garden. Bringing up the do’s and don’ts.
That is, sin gains more strength when we have the understanding of not doing it. God did that because he already had a life plan for man. The Bible says that Jesus was killed from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). Paul points out that if he had not known the law he would not have the knowledge of sin, sin uses the law to awaken in man all sorts of lusts (Romans 7). Note that God established a law in the garden and sin used that to induce man to do contrary to the law.
Consequently, you can also stay with the story of Abel and Cain. Genesis 4 describes that sin lies at the door and it is up to any person to have control over their own actions. Sin would be like a personification of evil that waits for a gap to rule; it ruled Cain’s life.
What is the greatest sin in the Old Testament?
The sin that the devil committed. This sin is considered the sin of iniquity, that is, having a lifestyle of wickedness. This type of sin is so serious that it causes a person to transfigure the glory of God. Generally, because it was a being who was already eternal, he received the ultimate condemnation, which is hell. In the case of David, however, he committed this sin and it cost him the lives of his children. Sincere repentance can free a person from this sin, but it will have consequences.
How is sin understood in the Old Testament?
It is understood that making mistakes would bring death and a lack of provision from God. Sin was seen as something extremely serious that would cause God Himself to raise an army against His own people as punishment.
Was Adam 33 years old when he sinned?
The Bible does not provide these details. This is just a figment of human imagination that compares Jesus being crucified at the age of 33 and seeks a way to draw a parallel with Adam.
There are important details about Adam. For example, did you know that Adam was not expelled from paradise for committing a sin? If you want to know about this… Then write a comment and we will write about it.
What is the biggest difference between the Old and New Testaments?
The difference is that in the Old Testament it was necessary to consummate the act of sin in order to commit a sin. In the New Testament it got worse, now all you have to do is think about something to commit a sin. In other words, it got much more difficult.
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